The former Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and now resident representative of the Economic Community for the West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia has been conferred with an honorary Doctorate in law at the 103^rd convocation of the University of Liberia, Monrovia.

Ms Josephine Nkrumah was honoured in recognition of her work in public service, advocacy, civil rights and the promotion of democratic values.

Delivering the keynote address, Ms Nkrumah spoke on the theme; 'Accountable Leadership, Responsible Citizenship; Reorientation of Mindset for Liberia's Forward March.'

She expressed gratitude for ECOWAS-Liberia relations and was full of praise for the University of Liberia. She again thanked Liberians for the warmth of friendship since she began work in April 2022. 

Consistent with her convictions, Ms Nkrumah acknowledged the peace-building efforts of Liberia since the dark days of the war. She praised the hard work and determination of the nation to ensure national cohesion.

According to her, constitutional integrity should be protected through responsible citizenship, to shield democratic gains. She endorsed civic education as one of the important elements needed to protect and sustain the gains of democracy.

Ms Nkrumah was of the view that an imbalance in leadership and citizenship roles could threaten democracy. She stated low-level corruption by citizens, corruption in the public sector by technical experts, corruption in the judiciary to deny justice for the poor, and sexual and gender-based violence as negative traits that retrogressed development.  

"Religious institutions are being used to spew dissension rather than preach peace for development. All these vices including inciteful language and vitriolic utterances that fester in the political ecosystem undermine development in the nation," she emphasised.

Touching on Liberia’s forward march, Ms Nkrumah said that requires, “deliberate and intentional reorienting of mindset through active civic education and engagement to nurture citizen-leaders that demonstrate responsible citizenship and accountable leadership."

She advocated the need for a pivotal role of the family, education, and religious spheres of society can play in mindset reorientation. 

Ms Nkrumah was optimistic that the recent efforts at reintroducing civics into the school curriculum in Liberia were a step in the right direction for the country’s forward march. 

She congratulated the University of Liberia on its collaborative drive with other academic institutions, training young graduates as valuable contributors to nation-building and the advancement of the sub-region. 

She also encouraged Liberian academic institutions to formulate cutting-edge programs, collaborating with relevant institutions to enhance capacity and deepen knowledge.

“Our universities must pursue evidence-based assessment of relevant programs that address contemporary needs of the people of Liberia focusing on research excellence and readiness to connect dots with policies relevant to a national development agenda," she added.

She charged universities to prioritise the training of students as entrepreneurs and not employees to accelerate job creation for Liberia’s economic growth.

Ms Nkrumah congratulated the graduates and charged them to go into the world with renewed optimism and resilience not only for their advancement but also in patriotic service to Liberia, the ECOWAS community and the world.

She concluded with a quote by the visionary leader, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of independent Ghana when he said “…For this end, Africa needs a new type of citizen, a dedicated, modest, honest and informed (wo)man. A (wo)man who submerges self in service to the nation and mankind. A (wo)man who abhors greed and detests vanity. A new type of (wo)man whose humility is his strength and whose integrity is his greatness…”

The President of the University of Liberia, Rev. Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson Jr. commended Ms Nkrumah for championing accountable leadership and responsible citizenship during her stay in the country.

He also congratulated the graduates and charged them to make use of the knowledge gained from the University and serve as change agents for national development.

Previous commencement speakers at the University of Liberia Convocation events have included personalities such as Dr George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and H.E. John Agyekum Kuffuor, former President of the Republic of Ghana.